Dwyane Wade surprised the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by showing up to their graduation ceremony and telling them how to prepare for the next chapter.
The former Miami Heat star made an appearance Sunday at MSD's commencement, where he delivered a heartfelt speech about the impact the school shooting left on him and how he grappled with relating to students soon after the 2018 massacre.
@DouglasHigh truly MSD is #MSDSTRONG because Dwayne Wade came to their commencement pic.twitter.com/VW0IUvXIhy
D-Wade described the silence on campus about a month afterward, when he was invited as a guest to meet and talk with the grieving student body. To his surprise, he said that even his mere presence was able to lift spirits ... despite not being able to fully comprehend what they'd been through. The point ... a small act of kindness went a long way.
@DwyaneWade so proud to say the words #msdstrong pic.twitter.com/jNyyW3zAl3
He went on to relate even further to the 2019 graduating class, telling them he too recently closed a big chapter in his own life -- Dwyane retired from the NBA this year -- but that he was still excited about the next steps, as they oughta be as well. He also imparted a team mantra he made up with his 2013 team.
@DwyaneWade the surprise commencement speaker addressing the graduating class at Stoneman Douglas HS...where 17 lives were taken in a shooting last year.
Wade’s gravity means so much more to our community than the 3 NBA Titles❤️#WadeCounty #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/mzXpBgN8Ml
Dwyane had the audience recite the mantra, which ended with a rousing "We fight!" call-back. He left the stage to huge applause ... clearly, he knocked it out of the park.
The impact of the shooting has continued to affect the community, at times in the worst ways possible. Two survivors of the tragedy have gone on to take their own lives.